Late Comeback Lifts MHC Over Saints
Smith hits game-winning three-run homer
MARS HILL, N.C. - Rusty Smith hit a three-run homerun in the bottom of the eighth inning to propel Mars Hill over the visiting Saints of Limestone College, 11-9, Wednesday afternoon at Henderson Field. The Lions improved to 19-22 while Limestone fell to 24-14 on the season.
Smith went 3-4 at the plate with four RBI, a homerun and a double. He scored twice. Michael Bueker went 3-4 with a triple and a pair of RBI. Adam Lewis also had three hits for MHC that included a double and two RBI. Tony Hearrell threw the final two innings in relief for MHC allowing just one hit while striking out three batters to pick up his third win (3-2) of the year.
Chad Balderman and Jake Rierson led LC at the plate with three hits apiece. Balderman added a homerun and two RBI. Andrew Thompson took the loss (2-1) on the mound for the Saints.
Limestone took a 4-0 lead after their first at bat on three hits and one Lion error. Joe Maloney hit a two-run homer in the inning. MHC scored three runs in the bottom of the first on five hits highlighted by a two-RBI double from Lewis.
Josh Troutman hit a solo homerun in the second inning to extend the Saints lead to 5-3. MHC tied the game in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Dalton Hardee and a RBI double from Smith.
After the teams traded single runs in the fourth frame, LC took a 7-6 lead in the sixth inning on an errant throw by the Lions. The Saints then extended their advantage to 9-6 in the seventh inning on Balderman's two-run homerun.
In the eighth inning, Thompson quickly got two outs on a liner to right field and a strike out. Then MHC went to work. Evan Holton singled followed by another single by Jarrod Payne. A triple by Bueker scored both Holton and Payne and bring the Lions within a single run of the Saints. Hardee walked and Smith came to bat to belt his heroic hit over the center field fence.
MHC will play a three-game SAC series at Tusculum College this
weekend. The teams will meet for a single game on Friday at 7 p.m.
and then play a double-header on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.
